screen time, explained
Downtime on iPhone: what it is, how to set it up, and how to turn it off
Downtime is the part of Screen Time that runs on a schedule. During the hours you pick, most apps become unavailable, and only phone calls and the apps you allow stay open. It's Apple's tool. finit, the app we make, doesn't block anything, so this page sticks to how Apple's setting behaves, following Apple's guide for iOS 26.
Apple's current guide also describes a newer setup called Screen Time Schedule with Time Allowances, which needs iOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices. If your Screen Time page shows that in place of Downtime, follow Apple's steps there. Everything below is Downtime as it appears on iOS 26.
Set up Downtime#
- Open Settings and tap Screen Time. If App & Website Activity is off, turn it on first with Turn on App & Website Activity.
- Tap Downtime. Menus moved between iOS versions: if you don't see it, look one level down under App & Website Activity, the row with Reports, Downtime & App Limits underneath.
- Turn on Scheduled.
- Choose Every Day or Customize Days, then set the start and end times. Customize Days lets weekends run on different hours.
Five minutes before Downtime starts, iPhone shows a reminder. The same screen can also start Downtime right away for the rest of the day, without a schedule. With Share Across Devices on, the schedule applies to every device signed in to the same Apple Account that has it turned on too. With it off, each device keeps its own settings.
What stays open: Always Allowed#
Apps and contacts on the Always Allowed list stay available during Downtime, and after an App Limit runs out. You'll find it next to Downtime in the Screen Time settings. Look through it once. Every app on it ignores Downtime by design, and an app you added a year ago and forgot about will keep working all evening.
Block at Downtime needs a passcode#
Without a Screen Time passcode, Downtime is a reminder. When you open a restricted app, iPhone tells you it's Downtime, and you can carry on. With a passcode set, you can turn on Block at Downtime in the Downtime settings. Restricted apps then can't be opened during Downtime. They appear dimmed, with an hourglass icon.
The passcode is separate from the code that unlocks your phone. To set one, open Settings → Screen Time and tap Lock Screen Time Settings, or look under Manage Screen Time if it isn't there. The Screen Time passcode guide covers changing it and resetting a forgotten one.
Why apps still open during Downtime#
If apps keep working while Downtime is on, one of these is usually the reason:
- The app is on the Always Allowed list, which ignores Downtime.
- Block at Downtime is off, or no Screen Time passcode is set, so Downtime only reminds you.
- Someone tapped Ignore Limit or One More Minute on the Downtime screen.
- Scheduled is off, or the hours aren't the ones you think.
- The device doesn't share settings. With Share Across Devices off, a schedule set on your iPhone doesn't reach your iPad, and the other way round.
Phone calls stay available by design. For limits that don't hold in general, the App Limits and Downtime checklist goes further, and if a device won't pick up your settings, see Share Across Devices not working.
How to turn Downtime off#
Open the Downtime settings and turn off Scheduled. That stops the schedule. If a Screen Time passcode is set, iPhone asks for it first. For a child in Family Sharing, a parent makes the change on their own iPhone, after tapping the child's name in Screen Time.
Avoid turning off App & Website Activity just to get rid of Downtime. Apple's note on that switch says it disables real-time reporting, Downtime, App Limits, and Always Allowed. In our own test on iOS 26, turning Screen Time off and on again also deleted the iPhone's usage history, and it couldn't be recovered. How to turn off Screen Time has the details.
The short answers#
What is Downtime on iPhone?
Downtime is a Screen Time schedule. During the hours you set, most apps are unavailable, and only phone calls and the apps on your Always Allowed list stay open. A reminder appears five minutes before it starts.
How do I turn off Downtime on iPhone?
Open Settings, tap Screen Time, then Downtime, and turn off Scheduled. On some iOS versions Downtime sits one level down, under App and Website Activity. If a Screen Time passcode is set, you need it to make the change.
Why can I still use apps during Downtime?
Usually the app is on the Always Allowed list, or Block at Downtime is off, so Downtime only shows a reminder you can tap past. Block at Downtime needs a Screen Time passcode.
Does Downtime apply to all my devices?
Only with Share Across Devices turned on. Then the schedule applies to your iPhone, iPad, and Mac signed in to the same Apple Account. With it off, each device keeps its own settings.
Downtime decides when the phone goes quiet. If you want to know in a few months whether your evenings changed, keep the record.
